Five Must-See Acts for Voodoo Fest 2018
Voodoo Fest in New Orleans, LA, is just over 30 days away, and you should very excited. Taking place from October 26th-28th in City Park, this isn’t Voodoo’s first walk in the park (heh, puns). It’s been happening Halloween weekend for twenty years. Its debut was way back in 1999 when jeans were excessively baggy, frosted tips existed, and people would stab you for a Charizard card. The biggest bands were The Backstreet Boys, Smash Mouth, N’sync, TLC, and Sugar Ray; the top song of the year was “Believe” by Cher. A lot has changed since then, but the good vibes and amazingness that are Voodoo Fest have remained. They’re not holding back this year in any way boasting one of the most diverse and insanely spectacular lineups of 2018.
If this is your first year going to Voodoo Fest or your fifteenth, there’s always something new to experience, especially when it comes to music. You will face some schedule conflicts: it’s never an easy decision to make, but we hope this list will help out. Headliners are not part of this; they usually play without any conflicting sets; this is for the undercard: the absurdly stacked and beautiful undercard. These are the top five must-see acts for Voodoo Fest 2018.
Rainbow Kitten Surprise
These guys have really blown up over the past year or two. I saw them for the first time at Okeechobee Fest in 2017; ever since I’ve been a huge fan. I don’t know if they completely count as an undercard band, but I couldn’t leave them off this list.
Go see Rainbow Kitten Surprise if:
- You like alternative rock
- You’re a fan of bald men with great beards
- You like to count down from seven
- Think Neil Young mixed with Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros
Space Jesus
I don’t really know how to explain Space Jesus, so bear with me. Space Jesus is a Brooklyn-based messiah who rains down dirty bass from far-off electronic lands upon all of his apostles. He is a welcome new sound to the now-over-flooded EDM scene. His live sets are absolutely insane. He has a religious following of diehard fans who bring an astonishing amount of energy to his already wild sets.
Go see Space Jesus if:
- You love bass
- You want a fresh sound in the EDM world
- Wubba lubba dub sub
- You’re ready to sweat & dance
Hippie Sabotage
Oh man, this is not an easy act to describe. If Jimmy Page and Roger Waters decided to make heavy EDM, littered with guitar solos, trance-inducing synths, and endless bass, you would somehow have Hippie Sabotage. These guys bring it all to every performance. Expect tons of crowd-surfing and infinite energy. It’s common for them to wander fests after their performances and take photos with fans. These two dudes are just spectacular.
Go see Hippie Sabotage if:
- You’re ready to go absolutely crazy
- Crowd-surfing is life
- You want to hear something unique
- You want to dance, scream and meditate at the same time.
Mt. Joy
I just started listening to Mt. Joy a few months ago; I have never seen them live. So I can’t speak on behalf of their stage presence and what they bring to a set. They just released their first album back in March. I love the folk/rock movement that’s happening in music right now. These guys have the sound and have the talent to become huge.
Go see Mt. Joy if:
- You like The Strumbellas, Vance Joy and/or The Lumineers
- You like stompin’ a foot and clappin’ along to music
- You’re looking for a nice calm break in the day to sing along with a talented band
- You only drink craft beer
Motel Radio
These guys are New Orleans natives, which means they will be giving it all they got plus more for their Voodoo Fest performance. Motel Radio is a group of four dudes, all with insane talent. Great harmonizing, soft yet soulful guitars, and great hair. Americana/folk music at its best. Can’t wait for their set.
Go see Motel Radio if:
- You like Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
- You like acoustic guitars
- Great hair gets you going
- You want to support a local up-and-coming band